Train accidents stir worries about crude transport

A placard on a tank car carrying crude oil near a loading terminal in Trenton, N.D. warns of flammability.

A placard on a tank car carrying crude oil near a loading terminal in Trenton, N.D. warns of flammability.

Photo: Matthew Brown / ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Workers unload crude oil from a tanker truck into railroad tankers at the Gardendale Railroad Inc. switching yard near Cotulla, Texas in April 2012.

Workers unload crude oil from a tanker truck into railroad tankers at the Gardendale Railroad Inc. switching yard near Cotulla, Texas in April 2012.

Photo: JERRY LARA / San Antonio Express-News

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Rail cars load and unload at the Gardendale Railroad Inc. switching yard in LaSalle County near Cotulla, Texas in April 2012. With the demands from the Eagle Ford shale play, the yard grew from an old abandoned spur to 80,000 feet of track with another 35,000 likely to be built. Fracking sand and pipe are brought into the play while crude oil is shipped out. less

Rail cars load and unload at the Gardendale Railroad Inc. switching yard in LaSalle County near Cotulla, Texas in April 2012. With the demands from the Eagle Ford shale play, the yard grew from an old ... more

Photo: JERRY LARA / San Antonio Express-News

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Crude oil is unloaded from a tanker truck into railroad tankers at the Gardendale Railroad Inc. switching yard near Cotulla, Texas in April 2012.

Crude oil is unloaded from a tanker truck into railroad tankers at the Gardendale Railroad Inc. switching yard near Cotulla, Texas in April 2012.

Photo: JERRY LARA / San Antonio Express-News

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Hondo Railway worker rides on a tanker car as rail cars are moved to be unloaded. The company has seen growth with the increased business from the Eagle Ford Shale oil production in south Texas.

Hondo Railway worker rides on a tanker car as rail cars are moved to be unloaded. The company has seen growth with the increased business from the Eagle Ford Shale oil production in south Texas.

Photo: BOB OWEN / San Antonio Express-News

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Hondo Railway railman Jarrett Persat, switches a rail line as rail cars are moved around in the yard. The company has seen growth with the increased business from the Eagle Ford Shale oil production in south Texas. less

Hondo Railway railman Jarrett Persat, switches a rail line as rail cars are moved around in the yard. The company has seen growth with the increased business from the Eagle Ford Shale oil production in south ... more

Covered hopper rail cars filled with fracking sand in the yard at Hondo Railway, as a truck is loaded with sand to be used at a south Texas fracking site.

Covered hopper rail cars filled with fracking sand in the yard at Hondo Railway, as a truck is loaded with sand to be used at a south Texas fracking site.

Photo: BOB OWEN / San Antonio Express-News

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Hondo Railway worker Jarrett Persat switches a rail line as rail cars are moved in the yard. The company has seen growth with the increased business from the Eagle Ford Shale oil production in south Texas.

Hondo Railway worker Jarrett Persat switches a rail line as rail cars are moved in the yard. The company has seen growth with the increased business from the Eagle Ford Shale oil production in south Texas.

Photo: BOB OWEN / San Antonio Express-News

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Tanker cars used to carry crude oil line up in the Mandan railyard in North Dakota on a Thursday afternoon.

Tanker cars used to carry crude oil line up in the Mandan railyard in North Dakota on a Thursday afternoon.

Photo: Tom Stromme / ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Black tank cars used to transport crude oil from North Dakota are parked among other rail traffic at a train yard in Tacoma, Wash. in 2013.

Black tank cars used to transport crude oil from North Dakota are parked among other rail traffic at a train yard in Tacoma, Wash. in 2013.

Photo: Lui Kit Wong / ASSOCIATED PRESS

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A BNSF Railway train hauls crude oil west of Wolf Point, Mont. in November 2013.

A BNSF Railway train hauls crude oil west of Wolf Point, Mont. in November 2013.

Photo: Matthew Brown / ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Train accidents stir worries about crude transport

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By Matthew BrownAssociated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — At least 10 times since 2008, freight trains hauling oil across North America have derailed and spilled significant quantities of crude, with most of the accidents touching off fires or catastrophic explosions.

The derailments released almost 3 million gallons of oil, nearly twice as much as the largest pipeline spill in the U.S. since at least 1986. And the deadliest wreck killed 47 people in the town of Lac-Megantic, Quebec.

Those findings, from an Associated Press review of U.S. and Canadian accident records, underscore a lesser-known danger of America’s oil boom, which is changing the global energy balance and raising urgent safety questions closer to home.

Experts say recent efforts to improve the safety of oil shipments belie an unsettling fact: With increasing volumes of crude now moving by rail, it’s become impossible to send oil-hauling trains to refineries without passing major population centers, where more lives and property are at risk.

Adding to the danger is the high volatility of the light, sweet crude from the fast-growing Bakken oil patch in Montana and North Dakota, where many of the trains originate. Because it contains more natural gas than heavier crude, Bakken oil can have a lower ignition point. Of the six oil trains that derailed and caught fire since 2008, four came from the Bakken and each caused at least one explosion. That includes the accident at Lac-Megantic, which spilled an estimated 1.6 million gallons and set off a blast that levelled a large section of the town.

After recent fiery derailments in Quebec, Alabama, North Dakota and New Brunswick, companies and regulators in the U.S. and Canada are pursuing an array of potential changes such as slowing or rerouting trains, upgrading rupture-prone tank cars and bolstering fire departments. Company executives were expected to offer a set of voluntary safety measures in the coming days at the request of U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

“I’m absolutely positive the railway industry will come up with techniques to define how to minimize risk,” said Allan Zarembski who leads the rail-safety program at the University of Delaware. “The key word is ‘minimize.’ You can’t eliminate risk.”

Since 2008, the number of tanker cars hauling oil has increased 40-fold, and federal records show that’s been accompanied by a dramatic spike in accidental crude releases from tank cars. Over the next decade, rail-based oil shipments are forecast to increase from 1 million barrels a day to more than 4.5 million barrels a day, according to transportation officials.

By rail, it’s roughly 2,000 miles from the heart of the oil boom on the Northern Plains to some of the East Coast refineries that turn the crude into gasoline. Trains pulling several million gallons apiece must pass through metropolitan areas that include Minneapolis, Chicago, Cleveland and Buffalo.

Some cities such as Chicago have belt railroads that divert freight traffic from the metropolitan core. But elsewhere, railroad representatives said, the best-maintained and safest track often runs directly through communities that were built around the railroad.

Trains sometimes have no option but to roll deep into populated areas. That’s the case in Philadelphia, New Orleans, Albany, N.Y., and Tacoma, Wash.

Experts say the explosive nature of Bakken oil derailments caught everyone off guard — from regulators to the railroads themselves.

“I don’t think people understood the potential for a problem if there were a derailment,” said Jason Kuehn, a former railroad executive and now vice president for the industry consulting firm Oliver Wyman.

A major accident was narrowly avoided last month in Philadelphia, where six tanker cars carrying oil derailed near the heart of the city on a bridge over the Schuylkill River. The CSX freight train had picked up North Dakota oil in Chicago and was headed for a refinery in South Philadelphia. Nothing was spilled, but the accident rattled nerves.

“During rush hour, I imagine there are a couple hundred people on each train,” Folzer said. “That scares me, that there’s explosive material so close to where commuters are.”

Proposals to route trains away from population centers are modeled on rules adopted after the 2001 terrorist attacks to restrict cargoes even more hazardous than oil — explosives, radioactive material and poisonous gases.

When the rules were being written, California regulators pushed their federal counterparts to include oil. But Transportation Department officials said they were “not persuaded.”

Federal safety officials say it’s time to reverse that decision, given the huge growth in tank cars carrying crude and ethanol, another flammable liquid involved in recent derailments and explosions.

The rules gave railroads broad discretion, and routing decisions are not automatically reviewed by regulators. But the Federal Railroad Administration is authorized to reject any routes found to be too risky. That has never happened since the rules took effect, said FRA Associate Administrator Kevin Thompson.

Even where trains can be re-routed through less-populous areas, critics say that simply shifts the risk to smaller communities with fewer resources to handle a fiery accident. Rural and suburban municipalities in Maine, Illinois and Vermont already have pushed back against the proposal.

In Hartford, Vt., Town Manager Hunter Rieseberg said it was “a fantasy” to think that moving hazardous shipments through rural areas would resolve safety problems.

John Hanger is former Pennsylvania secretary of environmental protection and now a Democratic candidate for governor calling for safer crude transportation. He’s critical of regulators for suggesting that “lives are more precious in urban areas because there are more people there. That’s an ethical, moral calculation that has to be avoided at all costs.”

The routing rules in place for other hazardous materials list 27 factors to consider, including shipment volumes, nearby population densities and proximity to “iconic targets” or environmentally sensitive areas.

Rail companies weigh whether routes are “practicable” and consider economic impacts such as rail network congestion. While that can involve trade-offs, transportation consultant Steven Ditmeyer said railroads have made huge strides since the industry was deregulated in 1980.

“You cannot avoid the economic issues,” said Ditmeyer, an adjunct professor at Michigan State University. “Because the risk is so high, the railroads do have an incentive to run a safe railroad.”

Emergency crews work a massive fire after a CN tanker train carrying oil and gas derailed in Gainford, Alberta, Canada, west of Edmonton on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. Canadian National spokesman Louis-Antoine Paquin said 13 cars, four carrying petroleum crude oil and nine loaded with liquified petroleum gas, came off the tracks around 1 a.m. local time in the hamlet of Gainford, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Edmonton. The entire community of roughly 100 people was evacuated. less

Emergency crews work a massive fire after a CN tanker train carrying oil and gas derailed in Gainford, Alberta, Canada, west of Edmonton on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. Canadian National spokesman Louis-Antoine ... more

Photo: Royal Canadian Mounted Police / ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Emergency crews work a massive fire after a CN tanker train carrying oil and gas derailed in Gainford, Alberta, Canada, west of Edmonton on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. Canadian National spokesman Louis-Antoine Paquin said 13 cars, four carrying petroleum crude oil and nine loaded with liquified petroleum gas, came off the tracks around 1 a.m. local time in the hamlet of Gainford, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Edmonton. The entire community of roughly 100 people was evacuated. less

Emergency crews work a massive fire after a CN tanker train carrying oil and gas derailed in Gainford, Alberta, Canada, west of Edmonton on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. Canadian National spokesman Louis-Antoine ... more

Photo: Royal Canadian Mounted Police / AP

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Fire burns on the horizon at the scene of a train derailment near Plaster Rock, New Brunswick on Wednesday Jan. 8, 2014. A freight train carrying crude oil and propane derailed and caught fire in a sparsely populated region of New Brunswick late Tuesday, leading to the evacuation of about two dozen nearby homes, authorities said. less

Fire burns on the horizon at the scene of a train derailment near Plaster Rock, New Brunswick on Wednesday Jan. 8, 2014. A freight train carrying crude oil and propane derailed and caught fire in a sparsely ... more

Photo: Tom Bateman / AP

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Canadian National Railway personnel respond after a train derailment outside of Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, Canada on Wednesday Jan. 8, 2014. A Canadian National Railway freight train carrying crude oil and propane derailed Tuesday night in a sparsely populated region of northwestern New Brunswick. More than 100 residents remained evacuated from their homes. There were no deaths or injuries. less

Canadian National Railway personnel respond after a train derailment outside of Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, Canada on Wednesday Jan. 8, 2014. A Canadian National Railway freight train carrying crude oil and ... more

Photo: Tom Bateman / AP

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Canadian National Railway personnel congregate at the Tobique-Plex in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, Canada on Wednesday Jan. 8, 2014. A Canadian National Railway freight train carrying crude oil and propane derailed Tuesday night in a sparsely populated region of northwestern New Brunswick. More than 100 residents remained evacuated from their homes. There were no deaths or injuries. less

Canadian National Railway personnel congregate at the Tobique-Plex in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, Canada on Wednesday Jan. 8, 2014. A Canadian National Railway freight train carrying crude oil and propane ... more

Photo: Tom Bateman / AP

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Firefighters block the highway near Gainford, Alberta, Canada as emergency crews battle a massive fire after a CN tanker train carrying oil and gas derailed in Gainford,west of Edmonton on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. Canadian National spokesman Louis-Antoine Paquin said 13 cars, four carrying petroleum crude oil and nine loaded with liquified petroleum gas, came off the tracks around 1 a.m. local time in the hamlet of Gainford, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Edmonton. The entire community of roughly 100 people was evacuated. less

Firefighters block the highway near Gainford, Alberta, Canada as emergency crews battle a massive fire after a CN tanker train carrying oil and gas derailed in Gainford,west of Edmonton on Saturday, Oct. 19, ... more

Photo: Jason Franson / AP

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Firefighters block the highway near Gainford, Alberta, Canada as emergency crews battle a massive fire after a CN tanker train carrying oil and gas derailed in Gainford, west of Edmonton on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. Canadian National spokesman Louis-Antoine Paquin said 13 cars, four carrying petroleum crude oil and nine loaded with liquified petroleum gas, came off the tracks around 1 a.m. local time in the hamlet of Gainford, about 50 miles from Edmonton. The entire community of roughly 100 people was evacuated. less

Firefighters block the highway near Gainford, Alberta, Canada as emergency crews battle a massive fire after a CN tanker train carrying oil and gas derailed in Gainford, west of Edmonton on Saturday, Oct. 19, ... more

Workers move among damaged tank cars at the crash site of the train derailment and fire Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013, derailment that left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, Pool) less

Workers move among damaged tank cars at the crash site of the train derailment and fire Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013, derailment that left 37 people confirmed dead and ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Work continues Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013, accident left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, pool) less

Work continues Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013, accident left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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A worker drives past the twisted remains of a tanker car Tuesday, July 16, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, at the site of the train derailment and fire. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, Pool) less

A worker drives past the twisted remains of a tanker car Tuesday, July 16, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, at the site of the train derailment and fire. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people confirmed dead ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Work continues Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The derailment July 6, 2013, left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. T(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz) less

Work continues Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The derailment July 6, 2013, left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Crews move through the debris Tuesday, July 16, 2013, as work continues at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, Pool) less

Crews move through the debris Tuesday, July 16, 2013, as work continues at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people confirmed dead ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Cleanup crews pump oil on the shores of Lac-Megantic, Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The derailment of the unmanned oil train July 6, 2013, devastated the town, left 37 people confirmed dead, another 13 missing and presumed dead and spilled oil into the lake. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz) less

Cleanup crews pump oil on the shores of Lac-Megantic, Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The derailment of the unmanned oil train July 6, 2013, devastated the town, left 37 people confirmed ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Bare, blackened trees stand Tuesday, July 16, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, as work continues at the site of the train derailment and fire. The accident left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz) less

Bare, blackened trees stand Tuesday, July 16, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, as work continues at the site of the train derailment and fire. The accident left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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In this Friday, July 12, 2013, photo, work continues at the crash site on in Lac-Megantic, Quebec of a train that derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil that killed fifty people. U.S. and Canadian drillers are producing oil faster than new pipelines can be built. As a result, trains have become an unexpected yet vital way to move this bounty of energy from the continents midsection to refineries along the coasts. However, since the July 6 tragedy in Lac-Megantic, where a runaway train carrying 72 carloads of crude derailed and killed 50 people, there have been calls for tougher regulations, stronger rail cars and more pipelines. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz) less

In this Friday, July 12, 2013, photo, work continues at the crash site on in Lac-Megantic, Quebec of a train that derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil that killed fifty people. U.S. and Canadian ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Emergency workers examine the aftermath of a train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Thirty-seven bodies have been recovered and another 13 people missing are still missinfg after the July 6, 2013, derailment. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, Pool) less

Emergency workers examine the aftermath of a train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Thirty-seven bodies have been recovered and another 13 people missing are still ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Workers stand before mangled tanker cars Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013, accident left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, pool) less

Workers stand before mangled tanker cars Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013, accident left 37 people confirmed dead and ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Emergency workers examine the aftermath of a train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Thirty-seven bodies have been recovered and another 13 people missing are still missinfg after the July 6, 2013, derailment. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, Pool) less

Emergency workers examine the aftermath of a train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Thirty-seven bodies have been recovered and another 13 people missing are still ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Worker are seen by damaged tanker cars Tuesday, July 16, 2013, as work continues at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, Pool) less

Worker are seen by damaged tanker cars Tuesday, July 16, 2013, as work continues at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Cranes move a burnt out tanker Tuesday, July 16, 2013, as work continues at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, Pool) less

Cranes move a burnt out tanker Tuesday, July 16, 2013, as work continues at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people confirmed dead ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Workers pas tje wreckage of a tanker car Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013, accident left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, pool) less

Workers pas tje wreckage of a tanker car Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013, accident left 37 people confirmed dead and ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Cleanup crews pump oil from Lac-Megantic Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The train derailment and fire July 6, 2013, in Lac-Megantic, left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead and spilled oil into the lake. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz) less

Cleanup crews pump oil from Lac-Megantic Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The train derailment and fire July 6, 2013, in Lac-Megantic, left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Cranes move a burnt out tanker Tuesday, July 16, 2013, as work continues at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, Pool) less

Cranes move a burnt out tanker Tuesday, July 16, 2013, as work continues at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people confirmed dead ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Workers stand before mangled tanker cars Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013, accident left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, pool) less

Workers stand before mangled tanker cars Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013, accident left 37 people confirmed dead and ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Work continues Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, Pool) less

Work continues Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the crash site of the train derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The July 6, 2013 derailment left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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Workers sift through debris Tuesday, July 16, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, in front of the white house that was unscathed by the train derailment July 6, 2013. The derailment and fire left 37 people confirmed dead and another 13 missing and presumed dead. (AP Photo/ The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz) less

Workers sift through debris Tuesday, July 16, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, in front of the white house that was unscathed by the train derailment July 6, 2013. The derailment and fire left 37 people ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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The downtown core lies in ruins Thursday, July 11, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. The first victim of a runaway oil train's explosive derailment in the Quebec town was identified Thursday, more than five days since the disaster, which left behind a scorched scene so dangerous that it slowed the search for 50 people presumed dead. (AP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, The Canadian Press) less

The downtown core lies in ruins Thursday, July 11, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. The first victim of a runaway oil train's explosive derailment in the Quebec town was identified Thursday, more than ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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The Canadian flag of the Peace Tower flies at half-mast on Parliament Hill Ottawa on Tuesday, July 11, 2013, in Ottawa, Ontario, for victims of the in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, train disaster. Everyone missing in the fiery crash of a runaway oil train in Quebec is presumed dead, police told grieving families, bringing the death toll to 50 in Canada's worst railway catastrophe in almost 150 years. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick) less

The Canadian flag of the Peace Tower flies at half-mast on Parliament Hill Ottawa on Tuesday, July 11, 2013, in Ottawa, Ontario, for victims of the in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, train disaster. Everyone missing in ... more

Photo: Sean Kilpatrick / Associated Press

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Quebec Premier Pauline Marois talks with volunteer Marie-Josee Chevrier during her visit to Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Thursday, July 11, 2013. Marois toured the site of Canada's worst railway catastrophe in almost 150 years, after a runaway oil train killed 50 people in a fiery explosion. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz) less

Quebec Premier Pauline Marois talks with volunteer Marie-Josee Chevrier during her visit to Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Thursday, July 11, 2013. Marois toured the site of Canada's worst railway catastrophe in ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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A family walks into a shelter in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on Thursday, July 11, 2013, for evacuees of the area where a runaway oil train caused a fiery explosion on July 6. Everyone missing in the fiery crash of a runaway oil train in Quebec is presumed dead, police told grieving families, bringing the death toll to 50 in Canada's worst railway catastrophe in almost 150 years. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jacques Boissinot) less

A family walks into a shelter in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on Thursday, July 11, 2013, for evacuees of the area where a runaway oil train caused a fiery explosion on July 6. Everyone missing in the fiery crash of ... more

Photo: Jacques Boissinot / Associated Press

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An investigator looks over tanker cars that were pulled away from the Lac-Mégantic derailed train inferno, in Nantes, Quebec on Thursday July 11, 2013. Everyone missing in the fiery crash of a runaway oil train in Quebec is presumed dead, police told grieving families, bringing the death toll to 50 in Canada's worst railway catastrophe in almost 150 years. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz) less

An investigator looks over tanker cars that were pulled away from the Lac-Mégantic derailed train inferno, in Nantes, Quebec on Thursday July 11, 2013. Everyone missing in the fiery crash of a runaway oil ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

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FILE - In this Sept. 11, 1998, file photo, a Swissair member lights a candle during a memorial service in Zurich for the victims of Swissair Flight 111, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, on Sept. 2 killing 229 people. The plane crash was among Canada's deadliest accidents in the last 150 years, killing 229. Police say 50 people are presumed dead following a July 6, 2013, fiery oil train crash in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, making it Canadas worst railway crash in nearly 150 years. (AP Photo/Christoph Ruckstuhl, File) less

FILE - In this Sept. 11, 1998, file photo, a Swissair member lights a candle during a memorial service in Zurich for the victims of Swissair Flight 111, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Peggy's Cove, ... more

Photo: Christoph Ruckstuhl / Associated Press

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Rail World Inc. President Edward Burkhardt speaks to the media as he tours Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on Wednesday, July 10, 2013. Burkhardt said Wednesday that an employee failed to properly set the brakes of the train that crashed into a town in Quebec, killing at least 15 people. (AP Photo/ The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz) less

Rail World Inc. President Edward Burkhardt speaks to the media as he tours Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on Wednesday, July 10, 2013. Burkhardt said Wednesday that an employee failed to properly set the brakes of the ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / AP

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A makeshift memorial for victims of Saturday's oil train derailment and explosions is set up in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Wednesday, July 10, 2013. Rescuers have recovered 15 bodies from the wreckage so far, but they are so badly burnt that authorities have not been able to identify them. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson) less

A makeshift memorial for victims of Saturday's oil train derailment and explosions is set up in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Wednesday, July 10, 2013. Rescuers have recovered 15 bodies from the wreckage so far, but ... more

Photo: Paul Chiasson / AP

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Charred tanker cars are piled up in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Tuesday, July 9, 2013. Investigators are looking for the cause of the fiery oil train derailment Saturday that led to the explosions that killed at least 13 people. (AP Photo/THE CANADIAN PRESS,Jacques Boissinot ) less

Charred tanker cars are piled up in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Tuesday, July 9, 2013. Investigators are looking for the cause of the fiery oil train derailment Saturday that led to the explosions that killed at ... more

Photo: Jacques Boissinot / AP

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Richard LeFebvre, of nearby town of St. Romain, awaits, on Wednesday, July 10, 2013, the arrival of Edward Burkhardt, president and CEO of the railway company that owns the train that derailed in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, outside a high school in Lac-Megantic that is serving as a shelter for evacuees. (AP Photo/David Crary) less

Richard LeFebvre, of nearby town of St. Romain, awaits, on Wednesday, July 10, 2013, the arrival of Edward Burkhardt, president and CEO of the railway company that owns the train that derailed in Lac-Megantic, ... more

Photo: David Crary / AP

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Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers guard the main locomotive involved in a July 6 fatal train derailment and explosion in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Tuesday, July 9, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jacques Boissinot) less

Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers guard the main locomotive involved in a July 6 fatal train derailment and explosion in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Tuesday, July 9, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jacques ... more

Photo: Jacques Boissinot / AP

Image 40 of 114

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, shows wrecked oil tankers and debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, shows debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars ... more

Photo: HO / Associated Press

Image 43 of 114

Environment workers lay booms on the Chaudiere River near Lac-Megantic, Que., to contain the crude oil spill following a train derailment and explosion, Tuesday, July 9, 2013. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/ The Canadian Press, Jacques Boissinot) less

Environment workers lay booms on the Chaudiere River near Lac-Megantic, Que., to contain the crude oil spill following a train derailment and explosion, Tuesday, July 9, 2013. At least thirteen people were ... more

Photo: Jacques Boissinot / Associated Press

Image 44 of 114

National Transportation Safety Board officials, lead investigator Donald Ross, right, and regional official Ed Belkaloul (left), address reporters at a news conference in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday July 9, 2013. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/ The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz) less

National Transportation Safety Board officials, lead investigator Donald Ross, right, and regional official Ed Belkaloul (left), address reporters at a news conference in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on ... more

Photo: Ryan Remiorz / Associated Press

Image 45 of 114

This aerial photo, workers comb through the debris after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Tuesday, July 9, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday July 9, 2013. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/ The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson) less

This aerial photo, workers comb through the debris after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Tuesday, July 9, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday July 9, 2013. ... more

Photo: Paul Chiasson / Associated Press

Image 46 of 114

This aerial photo, a oil slick floats on the water at the local marina after Saturday's train derailment and explosion, Tuesday, July 9, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday July 9, 2013. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/ The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson) less

This aerial photo, a oil slick floats on the water at the local marina after Saturday's train derailment and explosion, Tuesday, July 9, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday July 9, 2013. At least ... more

Photo: Paul Chiasson / Associated Press

Image 47 of 114

This aerial photo, workers comb through the debris after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Tuesday, July 9, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday July 9, 2013. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/ The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson) less

This aerial photo, workers comb through the debris after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Tuesday, July 9, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday July 9, 2013. ... more

Photo: Paul Chiasson / Associated Press

Image 48 of 114

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars ... more

Photo: HO / Associated Press

Image 49 of 114

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars ... more

Photo: HO / Associated Press

Image 50 of 114

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars ... more

Photo: HO / Associated Press

Image 51 of 114

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars ... more

Photo: HO / Associated Press

Image 52 of 114

Environment workers lay booms on the Chaudiere River near Lac-Megantic, Que., to contain the crude oil spill following a train derailment and explosion, Tuesday, July 9, 2013. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/ The Canadian Press, Jacques Boissinot) less

Environment workers lay booms on the Chaudiere River near Lac-Megantic, Que., to contain the crude oil spill following a train derailment and explosion, Tuesday, July 9, 2013. At least thirteen people were ... more

Photo: Jacques Boissinot / Associated Press

Image 53 of 114

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, shows debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, shows the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, shows the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early ... more

This aerial photo, workers comb through the debris after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Tuesday, July 9, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday July 9, 2013. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/ The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson) less

This aerial photo, workers comb through the debris after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Tuesday, July 9, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday July 9, 2013. ... more

Prime Minister Stepen Harperwaves to people as he visits the site Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec, where a runaway train derailed Saturday. Tanker cars carrying oil exploded after the derailment and destroyed the business district in Lac Megantic. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson) less

Prime Minister Stepen Harperwaves to people as he visits the site Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec, where a runaway train derailed Saturday. Tanker cars carrying oil exploded after the derailment ... more

The downtown core lays in ruins as fire fighters continue to water smoldering rubble Sunday, July 7, 2013, in Lac Megantic, Quebec, after a train derailed ignited tanker cars carrying crude oil. The derailment Saturday caused explosions and fires that destroyed the downtown district. (AP Photo/THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz) less

The downtown core lays in ruins as fire fighters continue to water smoldering rubble Sunday, July 7, 2013, in Lac Megantic, Quebec, after a train derailed ignited tanker cars carrying crude oil. The derailment ... more

Photo: Associated Press

Image 69 of 114

Burnt buildings are seen following a train derailment causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec. Two more bodies were discovered overnight after a runaway train carrying crude oil derailed in eastern Quebec, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed a town's downtown center. The confirmed death toll is now three, and is expected to rise further. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson less

Burnt buildings are seen following a train derailment causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec. Two more bodies were discovered overnight after a ... more

Photo: Associated Press

Image 70 of 114

Damage in the downtown of Lac Megantic, Quebec is seen Sunday, July 7, 2013, the day after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson)

Damage in the downtown of Lac Megantic, Quebec is seen Sunday, July 7, 2013, the day after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson)

Photo: Associated Press

Image 71 of 114

Burnt buildings are seen following a train derailment causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec. Two more bodies were discovered overnight after a runaway train carrying crude oil derailed in eastern Quebec, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed a town's downtown center. The confirmed death toll is now three, and is expected to rise further. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson less

Burnt buildings are seen following a train derailment causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec. Two more bodies were discovered overnight after a ... more

Photo: Associated Press

Image 72 of 114

The downtown core lays in ruins as fire fighters continue to water smoldering rubble Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec after a train derailed ignited tanker cars carrying crude oil. More bodies were recovered Sunday in the devastated town of Lac Megantic, raising the death toll to at least five after a runaway train derailed, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed the downtown district. With dozens of people reported missing, authorities feared they could find more bodies once they reached the hardest-hit areas. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson) less

The downtown core lays in ruins as fire fighters continue to water smoldering rubble Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec after a train derailed ignited tanker cars carrying crude oil. More bodies were ... more

Photo: Associated Press

Image 73 of 114

Workers inspect a railway car that was part of a convoy of railway cars carrying crude oil that derailed Saturday causing explosions Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec. Two more bodies were discovered overnight after a runaway train carrying crude oil derailed in eastern Quebec, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed a town's downtown center. The confirmed death toll is now three, and is expected to rise further. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson less

Workers inspect a railway car that was part of a convoy of railway cars carrying crude oil that derailed Saturday causing explosions Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec. Two more bodies were ... more

Photo: Associated Press

Image 74 of 114

Fire Chief of the Lac-Mégantic fire department, Denis Lauzon(C) briefs reporters July 7, 2013 as his crews continue to work extinguishing fires after a freight train loaded with oil derailed July 6 in Lac-Megantic in Canada's Quebec province, sparking explosions that engulfed about 30 buildings in a wall of fire. Now scores of people -- perhaps as many as 80 -- are missing. Rescuers cautiously entered the charred debris Sunday, more than 24 hours after the spectacular crash that saw flames shoot into the sky and burn into the night. The accident and resulting huge fireball forced 2,000 people from their homes. Witnesses reported up to six explosions after the train derailed at about 1:20 am (0520 GMT Saturday) in Lac-Megantic. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

Fire Chief of the Lac-Mégantic fire department, Denis Lauzon(C) briefs reporters July 7, 2013 as his crews continue to work extinguishing fires after a freight train loaded with oil derailed July 6 in ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 75 of 114

People attend Mass to pray for the victims of a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire at a church in the village of Sainte-Cécile-de-Whitton, a few kilometres from Lac-Megantic in Canada's Quebec province July 7, 2013. Now scores of people -- perhaps as many as 80 -- are missing. Rescuers cautiously entered the charred debris Sunday, more than 24 hours after the spectacular crash that saw flames shoot into the sky and burn into the night. The accident and resulting huge fireball forced 2,000 people from their homes. Witnesses reported up to six explosions after the train derailed at about 1:20 am (0520 GMT Saturday) in Lac-Megantic. Four bodies were found Sunday morning, bringing the official death toll from the disaster to five. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

People attend Mass to pray for the victims of a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire at a church in the village of Sainte-Cécile-de-Whitton, a few kilometres from Lac-Megantic in Canada's Quebec ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 76 of 114

People attend Mass to pray for the victims of a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire at a church in the village of Sainte-Cécile-de-Whitton, a few kilometres from Lac-Megantic in Canada's Quebec province July 7, 2013. Now scores of people -- perhaps as many as 80 -- are missing. Rescuers cautiously entered the charred debris Sunday, more than 24 hours after the spectacular crash that saw flames shoot into the sky and burn into the night. The accident and resulting huge fireball forced 2,000 people from their homes. Witnesses reported up to six explosions after the train derailed at about 1:20 am (0520 GMT Saturday) in Lac-Megantic. Four bodies were found Sunday morning, bringing the official death toll from the disaster to five. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

People attend Mass to pray for the victims of a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire at a church in the village of Sainte-Cécile-de-Whitton, a few kilometres from Lac-Megantic in Canada's Quebec ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 77 of 114

The church in the village of Sainte-Cécile-de-Whitton, a few kilometres from Lac-Megantic in Canada's Quebec province, where people attended Mass to pray for the victims of a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire July 7, 2013. Now scores of people -- perhaps as many as 80 -- are missing. Rescuers cautiously entered the charred debris Sunday, more than 24 hours after the spectacular crash that saw flames shoot into the sky and burn into the night. The accident and resulting huge fireball forced 2,000 people from their homes. Witnesses reported up to six explosions after the train derailed at about 1:20 am (0520 GMT Saturday) in Lac-Megantic. Four bodies were found Sunday morning, bringing the official death toll from the disaster to five. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

The church in the village of Sainte-Cécile-de-Whitton, a few kilometres from Lac-Megantic in Canada's Quebec province, where people attended Mass to pray for the victims of a train derailment and subsequent ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 78 of 114

Relief operations continue July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

Relief operations continue July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 79 of 114

Relief operations continue July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

Relief operations continue July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 80 of 114

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (background/center-left) addresses a press conference in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (background/center-left) addresses a press conference in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 81 of 114

A woman speaks on a mobile phone in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

A woman speaks on a mobile phone in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 82 of 114

People watch relief operations on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

People watch relief operations on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 83 of 114

Families embrace in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

Families embrace in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 84 of 114

People watch relief operations on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

People watch relief operations on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 85 of 114

People watch relief operations on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

People watch relief operations on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 86 of 114

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (L) addresses a press conference in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (L) addresses a press conference in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 87 of 114

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper greets families following a press conference in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper greets families following a press conference in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 88 of 114

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper greets families following a press conference in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper greets families following a press conference in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 89 of 114

Families embrace in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

Families embrace in the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 90 of 114

Families wait outside the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies of victims have been recovered in Quebec from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train, but 40 people are missing and the toll is expected to rise, Canadian officials said. AFP PHOTO / François Laplante-DelagraveFrançois Laplante-Delagrave/AFP/Getty Images less

Families wait outside the emergency camp set up at Lac-Mégantic high school on July 7, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, one day after a train derailment and subsequent explosion and fire. Five bodies ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Image 91 of 114

Searchers dig through the rubble for victims of the inferno in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Monday, July 8, 2013, as firefighter continue to hose down tanker cars to prevent explosions. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday. (AP Photo/ THE CANADIAN PRESS,Ryan Remiorz) less

Searchers dig through the rubble for victims of the inferno in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Monday, July 8, 2013, as firefighter continue to hose down tanker cars to prevent explosions. A runaway train derailed ... more

Photo: Associated Press

Image 92 of 114

Searchers dig through the rubble for victims of the inferno in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Monday, July 8, 2013, as firefighter continue to hose down tanker cars to prevent explosions. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday. (AP Photo/ THE CANADIAN PRESS,Ryan Remiorz) less

Searchers dig through the rubble for victims of the inferno in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Monday, July 8, 2013, as firefighter continue to hose down tanker cars to prevent explosions. A runaway train derailed ... more

Burnt out tanker cars and the smouldering remains of businesses in downtown of Lac Megantic, Quebec is seen Sunday, July 7, 2013. A runaway train Saturday derailed, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed the downtown district. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson) less

Burnt out tanker cars and the smouldering remains of businesses in downtown of Lac Megantic, Quebec is seen Sunday, July 7, 2013. A runaway train Saturday derailed, igniting explosions and fires that ... more

Burnt buildings are seen following a train derailment causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec. Two more bodies were discovered overnight after a runaway train carrying crude oil derailed in eastern Quebec, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed a town's downtown center. The confirmed death toll is now three, and is expected to rise further. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson less

Burnt buildings are seen following a train derailment causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec. Two more bodies were discovered overnight after a ... more

Photo: Associated Press

Image 106 of 114

The downtown core lays in ruins as fire fighters continue to water smoldering rubble Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec after a train derailed ignited tanker cars carrying crude oil. More bodies were recovered Sunday in the devastated town of Lac Megantic, raising the death toll to at least five after a runaway train derailed, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed the downtown district. With dozens of people reported missing, authorities feared they could find more bodies once they reached the hardest-hit areas. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson) less

The downtown core lays in ruins as fire fighters continue to water smoldering rubble Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec after a train derailed ignited tanker cars carrying crude oil. More bodies were ... more

Photo: Associated Press

Image 107 of 114

Burnt buildings are seen following a train derailment causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec. Two more bodies were discovered overnight after a runaway train carrying crude oil derailed in eastern Quebec, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed a town's downtown center. The confirmed death toll is now three, and is expected to rise further. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson less

Burnt buildings are seen following a train derailment causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Sunday, July 7, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Quebec. Two more bodies were discovered overnight after a ... more

Photo: Associated Press

Image 108 of 114

Damage in the downtown of Lac Megantic, Quebec is seen Sunday, July 7, 2013, the day after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson)

Damage in the downtown of Lac Megantic, Quebec is seen Sunday, July 7, 2013, the day after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson)

Photo: Associated Press

Image 109 of 114

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, shows debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, shows wrecked oil tankers and debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This aerial photo, workers comb through the debris after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Tuesday, July 9, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday July 9, 2013. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/ The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson) less

This aerial photo, workers comb through the debris after a train derailed causing explosions of railway cars carrying crude oil Tuesday, July 9, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday July 9, 2013. ... more

Photo: Associated Press

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This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, shows debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil early Saturday, July 6. At least thirteen people were confirmed dead and nearly 40 others were still missing in a catastrophe that raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail instead of pipeline. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press) less

This photo provided by Surete du Quebec, emergency personnel look over the debris from a runaway train on Monday, July 8, 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. A runaway train derailed igniting tanker cars ... more